Heroes for Hire Ep 2 Brother
by Heroes For Hire
Summary: Hello everyone, and welcome to my 2nd story! Just keep in mind, that my marvel universe may differ from the original one (for creative reasons). If you feel the need to contact me about anything, the info is in my bio. Ava Ayala must don the White Tiger mantle, when her brother is murdered by the mysterious Gideon Mace. Can she stop him in time?


Heroes for Hire S1E2

"Brother"

By: Anon Anon Edited by: Anon Anon's friend

She remembered the man with one arm clearly. The one-armed man. The one who bore his terrifying image into the mind of her younger self, the one that came to her father all of those years ago. She remembered her mother panicking severely. She remembered sneaking out of the back door; she really wanted to see her father. After all, someone had to be with her for story time.

She had hidden behind a recliner on the back porch, and watched this angry confrontation between her father and this one-armed man. She heard phrases like 'during the war', or 'need compensation', and especially 'YOU OWE ME!'

Suddenly, this lumbering one-armed man had procured a dagger, and shoved it straight through her father's chest. He had fallen, with a distressed look in his eyes.

She screamed and ran, not wanting this strange killer to find her. The man simply left, with a satisfied sneer on his face. Her mother and brother had been shouting too, and the little girl had been so frightened, even when the ambulances came.

It was too late; he was dead. And Ava never figured out why the one-armed man had done it, not until today.

15 years later…

"Hey, give it back!" Hector shouted, as Ava danced the amulet over his head. "It's really important, so don't do this _mierda_ tonight" he reaffirmed. "Oh? And whyyyyyyyy?" Ava responded coyly.

She was 19 years old now, and even though her looks had matured, Hector still believed she was a small child from time to time. She was around 5'5, had long black hair, and a voluptuous figure. She also had plenty of muscle too, which surprised Hector as he never saw her work out. He did mainly see her use her breasts to influence others, however.

"Look, tonight is the day our dad died all those years ago, and I'm going to take out the bastard who did it. _Entender_? Now give me the amulet" Hector ordered. "Ok" Ava sighed, hopping down off of Hector's bed, causing her breasts to jiggle wildly.

 _Goddamn it,_ he thought to himself. "Also, another quick question" Ava started, hopping over to Hector with more jiggling, "How exactly do you know who this guy is?" "I've been doing research on the internet" Hector stated honestly. "Oh, is that what you call it?" Ava asked cheekily. She always loved messing with her brother.

"Y'know what Ava?! Just leave please, 1. I need to get dressed, and 2. Go bother someone else for attention" Hector roared. Ava looked genuinely hurt. Hector frowned, then said "Look, I'm sorry" "I get it, Mr. Dark Knight" Ava said, shambling off. Hector followed her, and hugged her, saying "Look, I really am sorry. Believe it".

She smiled at him, "Just remember that you've gotta come back to me, okay _hermano mayor_?" "Ok, and please don't tell Mamá" Hector responded, as he entered his room to change. After he was done, he quietly exited.

The suit Hector wore was all-white, and skin-tight also. It has gray stripes that looked like claw marks on each side of the suit. And the mask looked like a tiger's head, with yellow lenses where the eyes were. When he wore the suit, he became the White Tiger, the costumed vigilante keeping San Francisco's streets safe.

The amulet he wore around his neck gave him powers, such as increased strength and dexterity, faster reactions, heightened senses, and night vision. Powers of a wild tiger.

He made his way through the night to where he thought his father's killer Gideon would be. His research concluded that he'd be hiding in a shack by the Californian coastline somewhere. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, never missing a beat. Soon, he stopped, to reevaluate where he was. He took out his phone, and turned on the GPS.

 _Alright, so it's this way_ Hector thought, gesturing to his right, _Up and at em' boy_. He climbed down the side of a building, and hid, not wanting to be seen by a passing businessman. _Why couldn't this suit be in black? Or, is that already taken?_ Hector thought, as he dashed across the street.

He'd soon made it to the docks, and found the supposed shack that Gideon was hiding. _I wonder why this guy hated Dad so much,_ Hector thought for a moment, then shook the thought off, and knew what he had to do. _I'm gonna kill this little bitch if it's the last thing I do_ Hector thought, as he ran up to the door of the house.

He circled around the house, peering in and trying to see anything through the fogged up windows. He could faintly see four beefy men playing cards around a circular table. _Those must be Gideon's men_ , Hector thought, as he slinked back to the door. _They're probably armed, so I'd probably NOT want to try the front door_ he added, looking for a way to the roof. He scaled the wall opposite the goons, and climbed onto the roof. 

He found a chimney and decided that the element of surprise was with him now, so he jumped down. He hit the ground with a loud crash, and the four men sprung up, ready to kill the intruder. However, the chimney smoke blocked their sight temporarily, which gave Hector the chance to strike. He kicked two men in the man, and throat punched another. He turned to the last man, and grabbed him, punching him in the gut several times, before stomping on his face. Two of the men got back up, and took shots at Hector. He dodged the bullets, and grabbed one of the men's guns, smacking him in the face with it, and shooting the other man in the shoulder.

All four men had been incapacitated, but there was no sign of Gideon. "Hector, oh Hector…" said an ominous voice from the shadows. "GIDEON?! Where are-Just show yourself!" "But what would be the fun in that?" the voice said. Hector extended the claws in his gloves, and began looking all around, looking for a sign of where Gideon was.

"I'm right **here**!" Gideon proclaimed, as he stepped into the light. Hector looked at him, dazed. Instead of a stump for his left arm, he now had a giant mace. "Like it?" Gideon asked, "I wish you were more like your dad. He wouldn't have needed to use that gun." Hector charged, raising his claws, but was swatted aside by Gideon. "Nice try kid. Hope you have fun in hell." Gideon proclaimed, as he brandished a knife.

 _How did I let this happen? ,_ Hector thought, as the knife entered him. "Killed like your dad, what an idiot" Gideon said, laughing, as he exited the little shack. But Hector didn't hear that; he was already dead.

(Cue theme)

The funeral felt all too familiar to Ava, as she experienced a strong feeling of deja vu. She stood there, over his coffin, with nothing to say or feel, just sorrow. She was wearing her favorite dress, it was white and lace, with no sleeves and a very low neckline. She always used to wear it at school for graduation ceremonies, and such, but that all had no meaning now. Only Hector, the one person she could talk to about her problems, and be appreciated by (mostly).

For the last couple of nights, all Ava did was cuddle with the White Tiger suit in bed, the last remaining thing of Hector's essence. It still had the hole and the blood stain from Gideon's knife in it. Ava's mom had even mentioned it was the same wound that Dad had been killed by.

Ava had only just remembered her first funeral, the one all those years ago. But now that she was here again; she didn't know what to do. She had been crying, that's for sure, crying harder than she had ever in her entire life. Her hands, breast and face were soaked with her tears, as she kneeled in front of her brother's coffin.

It wasn't raining, surprisingly, Ava had thought that the cliche was real, and happened on a daily basis. She didn't however, want to find out this way.

After the funeral, she hopped into her mom's car, and looked out the window as the van started up. Ava could tell her mom was equally, if not more distraught, but it seemed that she had a way of hiding it better. "Ummm, well, I really enjoyed your speech" Ava's mother started, before she was interrupted by Ava grunting "Obituary"

Ava's mother frowned, and she decided to stay quiet for the rest of the trip home. When they made it home, Ava fell onto her couch in the living room, and stared blankly out of a window. Her mother stared at her, slowly approaching. "Hey, Ava?"

Ava grunted in acknowledgement, and faced her mother. "Okay, so, I may not know exactly how you're feeling" Her mother started, "But I do know that you're going to want to get revenge on Mace" "Hmmm...WHA?! How did you-?!" Ava sat up, shouting. "Because you're an Ayala. It's in your blood" Her mother responded, smiling. However, Ava saw that this was a sadder smile, one to hide a pain.

"What? Do you want me to go out and take out Mace?!" Ava feistily retorted. "Well, not real-" Her mother started, but was interrupted by a "How do you expect me to do all this?! I haven't become the White Tiger! I have zero training" "If you'd let me FINISH" her mother said angrily, "The power of the White Tiger is passed down from champion to champion from the amulet. It gives you the strength of every Tiger or Tigress before you"

"Tigress? I thought the whole vigilante thing was a boys only shebang. At least, that's what Hector always said…" Ava said, trailing off. "Hector's only repeating what Dad used to say. Truth is, I was the White Tiger once" Ava's mother revealed proudly. "Ummmm, what?" Ava asked. "I was the White Tiger a while ago, but your father wanted me out of the game for my 'safety'. I suppose he was right; I did get pretty hurt out there." her mom stated.

"How badly?" Ava asked, and her mom responded with "Another time  
I'll tell you." "Sooooooo, about the White Tiger" Ava started coyly. "Yes, about that. That mantle was never meant to be used as a way of personal justice. The White Tiger fights for the good of all. And NO KILLING, especially if we're going to go through this, understand?" Her mother explained.

"Yeah, I guess" Ava said, sighing. "I want you to work with the police for this mission, no vigilantism, got it?" Her mother restated. "Sure, I guess" Ava said, "But what about you?" "I can work from home, like I've always been doing" Her mother stated. "So, not only were you the White Tiger, but you've been with Hector every step of the way?" Ava asked, still in shock. "Yes, every night except THAT night" Her mother said, growing quiet.

"So, are you ready for the White Tiger 101 debriefing?" Her mother asked, excitedly. "Yeah, but first I need lunch. And a change out of this dress"

…

"So, when you first activate your amulet in battle, you'll notice a sudden burst of energy and strength coursing through you" Ava's mother explained. "Sooooooo, cocaine?" Ava asked, jokingly. Her mother rolled her eyes, and continued, "The strength, dexterity, and stamina of past Tigers will be yours to use freely"

"How exactly does this amulet work? Like with the chakra and rasengan _mierda de toro_?" Ava said, confused. Her mother laughed, and said "Honestly, I never knew. Neither has any Tiger before me, except maybe the first." "Anyways, perhaps one of the…..odder things that happens with this amulet is the period of time where our behaviors are changed" She explained. "How so?" asked Ava

"For instance, you become slightly territorial, eat more rare meats, and have a higher libido" She said. Ava put that on a mental checklist, then exclaimed "WAIT HOLD UP? Higher libido? Is this something I can control or…?" Ava asked, going down to a whisper. "Nothing to worry about really. Most other people don't have the correct pheromone pattern to be any pleasing" Her mom explained. "Any pleasing huh?" Ava snidely remarked, "And here I thought you were clean, _madre"_ Her mother rolled her eyes once more, thinking, _Ava can be capricious sometimes._

"So, how should I deal with this situation?" Ava asked, before thinking for a bit, and answering "Yeah, never mind. Enough about sex stuff, let's get to actual business"

…

After practicing at the local gymnastics building for a few hours, Ava found her new set of powers very satisfying to test. After a thoroughly enjoyable meal, she and her mother reconciled and decided to use this moment to cherish the lost ones in their family.

"To Hector, and Papa" Ava said, as she raised her glass with her mom. After they toasted, Ava asked, "Am I even aloud to drink?" The two burst out laughing, and within the hour were ready for bed.

Ava entered her bedroom quietly, closing the door behind her. She checked her phone to see if she had received any texts from her best friend, Brandon, who had asked her how she had felt throughout that whole phase of losing Hector. There were none, so she turned off all her lights, and opened the blinds.

The moon looked pretty out tonight. Ava smiled to herself, as she began to undress completely. Sleeping naked was healthier according to a thing she saw on Reddit, and her nights had become less restless. She sat on the edge of her bed, her breasts bobbing to the beat of her breathing. She stroked her leg, before lying down to go to bed.

She thought about everything that had happened today, and how her destiny had been changed forever. Then, she fell asleep.

The next morning, she awoke and stretched, enjoying the feeling of waking up. Every part of her felt good, and she stood up to get dressed. She took a relaxing shower, letting herself get soaked entirely. She got dressed, and went down to see her mother sitting on the couch in tears.

"WOAH Mamá, what is it?" Ava asked, running over. "Nothing, nothing really. I'm just not comfortable with this mission; I don't want to lose you too" She said, breaking into more tears. "You know me Mamá, I can handle myself" Ava reassured. "Couldn't Hector though?" She asked, and Ava grew quiet. "I'm calling off the mission" Her mom stated. "Wait, you can't do that. We were going to bring in this asshole to protect the neighborhood, the city! Don't flake Mamá, have faith" Ava declared loudly. Her mother stared at her, realizing what this meant to her daughter, and got up.

"Let me think about it" She said quietly, before walking off. Ava thought, _What's up with her today?_ Before quietly retreating back to her room. _I could at least work on more gymnastics and free running_ she thought, before deciding that she wasn't in the mood.

Her phone buzzed, as she went to get it. It was a text from Brandon. Brandon was an interesting friend. He was clumsy, rash, and shy, but also kind, caring, and emphatic. She knew that he had a crush on her for a while, but decided not to do anything ever since she figured out he was bisexual.

She decided to send him a heartfelt 'thank-you' text, to show how much he meant to her. She got a response within the minute saying " _No Prob Ava, I'm always here_ " She sent a non- nude picture to Brandon, who sent a ":O" back. " _What? I feel sexy today."_ She responded.

 _"OKAY"_ He texted, then asked " _R u available 2moro?" "Sure, what time?"_ She texted. _"How bout 9:00? I've got a movie"_ He responded. _"Cool Cool"_ she responded, before pocketing her phone away. _Maybe I can sneak away and get Mace before Mamá realizes_ she thought, as she walked downstairs. She called to her mom, saying "I'm going out for lunch with a friend. That okay?!"

A disheartened response of " _Si_ _mi hija_ " came from her mother, and Ava rushed upstairs to get her bag full of gear. She ran down the stairs as fast as she could, boobs flailing wildly. She exited her house, and massaged her shoulders, thinking _Damn this hurts sometimes_

She decided the place to figure out where Gideon was was the dockside hideout. She caught a cabbie, who took her near the dockside. She thanked him, and got out, walking slowly towards the shack. _This is it, the last place Hector was_ she thought, as she entered the shack. There was nothing much in the house, overturned furniture, and some bloodstains from Hector's last battle.

 _It doesn't seem like anything here could help me_ she thought, and turned around to see a tall, muscular man holding a pistol. _Fuck me_ Ava thought, as the man asked. "What's a little lass like you doing snooping 'round here?" the man said, pushing up against her. "Ummm, well to be blunt, looking for the man who killed my brother" she said. The man stepped back, confused. "This ain't some crime thriller sweetheart, tell me the truth, or I'll shoot your brains out"

 _The nerve of some people_ She thought angrily. "No seriously, I'm looking for Gideon Mace" Ava said, and this time the man flinched. "What for, lil miss? Mace don't need a slut like you right now" Ava winced, as she had gotten that insult many times. She'd never understood why though. She had always been a all 'A' student, and had never dated anyone in middle or high school.

 _This fag is gonna get it_ she thought, as she said "Thanks for your time, but I've got to-" The man had aimed the gun at her. _Here goes nothing_ she thought, as she activated her amulet, and lunged for the man. He fell to the ground, and she punched him across the face both ways as hard as she could, continuously.

"WOAH! Miss! Please!" The man called, as he flailed under her weight. When she felt like she was done, she saw that his face was nothing but blood and welts. "Tell me where Gideon is you worthless cunt, or I swear.." She roared, as the man trembled, and said "H-He got a boat off the shoreline!" _A boat?_ Ava thought, as she stomped on both of the man's elbow pits, breaking his arms.

"Police will be here to pick you up soon, trash" She said, walking off. The man laid there, whimpering a little, as he watched her run off.

…

She decided not to mess with Gideon today, as she had no real fighting training. It was all instinct for her at that point. _I'll try free running, that IS what cool kids do_ she thought, looking for a building she could climb up. She soon found one with consistent ledges on every floor, and leaped up to the top.

She felt truly invincible on top of that building, gazing down to the streets of San Fran. _I am Faith_ she thought, _But more cat-like and slightly less asian._ She looked at the building next to her, and judged the gap to be around 8 feet or so, with a vertical distance of around 10 feet less. _If my amulet can't do this, I am so screwed._ She thought. She re-activated her amulet, giving her a boost of speed and stamina, as she leaped between houses. She landed hard, but the roll distributed much of the impact. Her shoulder still ached afterwards.

 _Don't be a pussy Ava_ She thought, as she continued. Building from building she went for a while, until she decided it was time to return to home. She put on her costume, and extended the built-in claws, sliding down the current apartment building she was on, until she hit a balcony three stories down. She slowly climbed down the rest, and realized that she was still in costume. _No taxi will take me like this, where will I change?_ She asked herself, as she saw an 18-wheeler enter her line of sight. _There we go!_ She thought, as she faced her back to the wall behind her, and pushed off.

She flew gracefully, until she smacked against the side of the trailer, nearly falling off. She grabbed for the ledge, gasping for breath. She bit her tongue so she wouldn't scream in pain. _Son of a_ She thought, as she hoisted herself up. "Damn it, I got damaged goods" She said, holding her chest. She quickly changed before the truck driver got suspicious, and disembarked, when he stopped the truck to see what the commotion was.

She returned home to find an angry mother saying "So you went out alone, trying to find Gideon?!" "Umm, sorry mom?" she said nervously. "Okay, first off, what's hurt?" Her mom said, calming down. "Umm, my shoulder hurts a bit. And my boobs ache like hell" She said bluntly. Her mom stared at her saying, "Just take a bath, long as you like, and get the healing minerals"

 _My mom is such a hippie sometimes_ she thought, going upstairs to take her bath. After she was done, she decided that maybe it was a smart idea to let her mom in. After all, she'd been in the business a lot longer than she had. _But seriously, the cops? They're useless. Fuck the police_ She thought, then pleasantly started humming N.W.A's famous song. She decided not to get dressed yet, as she slipped under her comfy sheets.

Brandon had been trying to get in contact again, so she decided to strike up conversation. _"I'm naked"_ she said, starting the new chat. _"That's real cool"_ Brandon responded. Ava giggled to herself. _"So, wuts this movie we're watching? It better not be 50 shades of anything or Im out"_

Brandon responded _"xD nooooo, I've got something u'll like" ":O OH?"_ Ava responded. _"Not like that :/ Remember that new Mad Max movie that came out. We're seeing that"_ Brandon responded. _" AWW Hell yes"_ Ava responded, then shut down her phone. _Gotta ask my mom about the mish_ , Ava thought, as she went downstairs.

Her mom greeted her coldly, saying "What you did to that henchman was unjustified, and overly brutal." "Look, I'm sorry for what I did, it's just...never mind, I was wrong. Look we can finish Mace's reign tonight. I'm doing this for justice. Come on, Mamá, let's do this" Ava said, excitedly. Her mother sighed, then said, "I guess" "What about the police? Do we need them?" Ava asked. "Hector never needed them" Her mom said, with a smirk.

Her mom sat down, at her computer, and promptly hacked SHIELD's database in a matter of minutes. Ava stood there, gaping. "And I thought I was good at hacking" Ava muttered. "Your hacking is like tracerouting compared to mine" her mom joked, the two laughing. "What am I looking for, exactly?" She asked. "The armed man said something about Gideon having a boat, so just ping for a boat with the sonar" Ava said. "That is NOT that easy, but I'll try"

After several minutes of trying and failing, the sonar lit up with a red dot about 50 miles off the coast of Alcatraz. "That's him" said Ava, "But how am I supposed to get there?! Cause I am NOT swimming in a skintight white suit." Her mom stared, and said, "There's a private yacht leaving the dock in an hour, you can hijack that to get closer to the ship." "HOW do you know this?" Ava asked. "Surveillance" She responded, smiling. "So friggin cool" She responded.

"So, do you need the car?" Her mom said, getting up. "Umm, maybe, but first I want to add a little something to the costume" Ava said, grabbing some scissors. "What do you need THOSE for?" Her mom asked. "Ventilation" Ava responded, running upstairs. She proceeded to cut a hole in the top of the head, she needed a place for her long hair to go after all. She also had added a gray sash around the waist, a place for her to put the amulet she needed.

"READY MAMA!" She called, running down the stairs. "Well then go, time's a-wastin" She said, " _Buena suerte, querido"_ Ava hopped into the car, and drove off, heading towards the docks. _Do all vigilantes have cars? In that case, mine is the Catmobile_ Ava thought. She got to the docks just before the yacht was about to sail off, and got out of the car, her one mission set.

She attempted to sneak over to the boat, but hesitated, thinking she would be seen. _Why can't this fucking suit come in black? Or is there some other brooding cat vigilante out there?"_ Ava thought, as she approached the boat. Suddenly, two men walked out in front of her, still unaware of her, and talking quite loudly about something.

Ave growled, and proceeded to climb the building next to her, and leaped across to the roof of the boat silently. She surprisingly blended in with the overall cream colour of the ship, and slid down to the main deck. _So there's the main deck,_ Ava thought. She ran silently towards it, until a rich, prissy playboy showed up around the corner, obviously tipsy.

"WOAH!" The man started, "Are you like….one of those surprise strippers?" He giggled for, seemingly, emphasis. Ava blushed severely under the mask, shouting "NO! What! Grrrrrrrrr, I'm here to commandeer this vessel" "You can command….commandeer my vessel any time, baby" The man said, with a huge grin on his face. "Ewwww, NO! I'm barely over the age of consent as it is. Now move or I'll..forget it" Ava started, before she punched the man overboard.

"Fuck that guy, seriously" Ava muttered, going to the cabin. "So, mama, where is the boat compared to where I am" Ava said through her headpiece. "Head due south-east about 50 miles or so" Her mom replied. "That's NOT very helpful" Ava whispered hastily, "I don't even know how to drive this"

"Just turn the wheel, that's all you need to do. Oh, and lock the door to the cabin." Her mom responded. "Okay, thanks, but what is due south-east?" Ava asked. "The direction of the moon" Her mother responded. "Wow, impressive. Exactly how many hours did you waste outside doing THAT?" She asked, sarcastically. Her mom subsequently turned off the comm-link.

Ava drove the boat towards the moon, and after about a half-hour, the boat arrived at a much larger cargo vessel of-sorts. _This can't be Gideon's, can it?_ Ava thought, as she exited the cabin. She walked around the deck to find nobody there. _I don't wanna know what's going on below deck_ Ava thought, physically shivering. She went over to the railing next to the other boat, and looked up, judging the distance to be about 30 feet or so. _No problem_ She thought, activating her amulet, and extending her claws.

She jumped 6 feet vertically, planting her claws into the pliable steel, and began to climb, slowly but surely. _I really hope that yacht doesn't leave, because if it does I'm screwed_ Ava thought nervously, as she continued her climb. Soon, she reached the top, twirling up and over the railing. There weren't any guards or goons that Ava could she, but she decided to remain in the shadows just in case.

 _Too bad my goddamn suit is whiter than Nicole Kidman_ She thought angrily, continuing to sneak. Suddenly, she heard two guards conversing, and had a strange sense of deja-vu.

 _I'll just sneak up and over, after all I am only after Gideon_ Ava thought, before realizing that unless she took out every goon, that Gideon had to die. There'd be no other way to apprehend him and take him to the police. Ava shook of the morbid thought, and thought only about not getting caught. She propped herself up on a ledge, and prepared to jump over the guards.

She ran for the jump, but slipped, falling in front of the guards. _SHIT_ She thought, trying to give the cutest face she could to the guards. They stared down at her, confused, until they realized who she was. "Is that?" "The White Tiger!" they called, preparing to fire. Ave jumped and spun, knocking the two down with her legs. She picked up their guns, tossed them away, and consecutively kicked the men unconscious.

However, Ava heard another guard somewhere, call out "What was that? THIS WAY!" "C'mon" Ava whispered out loud, running the opposite way. She didn't get far, as somebody opened fire. She hit the deck as fast as she could, knocking the wind out of her.

 _Damaged goods AGAIN, when I'm through there'll be no breast left to mention_ Ava thought, cartwheeling over to the man, knocking him against a wall. Ava laughed to herself, _surprised that worked_ , before punching the man square in the face. She picked up his gun, and shot back at the other men coming. They scrambled to find cover; except for one man who fell, as a bullet grazed him.

 _Keep going Ava, you can do it. I've suffered through shit like this before_ She thought, urging herself on. Another man appeared; she simply leapt, propelled off of the wall next to her, and kicked him, knocking him out. _Good job, you're keeping it within normal violence levels_ Ava thought, smirking. She looked up, and saw what looked like the bridge, and thought _There! That's where I'll find Gideon!_ She jumped up, and began to climb as fast as she could. Suddenly, she went under fire, and ascended faster than she thought was humanly possible. Two bullets grazed her suit, peeling away the fabric to reveal bloody abrasions.

She perched on the ledge of the window to the bridge, revealing three goons. _Easy Peasy_ She thought, charging elbow-first into the glass, causing mass panic on the bridge. The three men on the bridge opened fire crazily, missing Ava. She crawled under the table, and dove for one man, tripping him, and knocking him out in the fall. The man next to him, turned to Ava, prepared to beat her with his rifle. He swung downwards, Ava rolling to dodge his strike. "Kinky" She said, springing up. The man swung again, making contact, The barrel of the gun smashed into her hip, cracking something. Ava screamed a little in pain, but thought nothing of it, and continued to fight. She kicked his neck elegantly, and turned to the last man. She lunged at him, like a tiger, knocking him to the ground.

She stood up, clutching her side, and wondering where Gideon was, when suddenly, the door across the room fell inward with a bang. "I gotta give it to you, you're less gullible than the last one" Gideon said, stepping in. His mace was a lot larger than Ava initially thought. _I'm going to die_ She thought, legitimately afraid for the first time in a while. "And what are you supposed to be? The cheap, 'forward thinking' version of White Tiger?" Gideon said, chuckling menacingly. "No, I'm just here to avenge some family" Ava said, rearing up to pounce. "I wouldn't charge if I were you, I've got the mace and all" Gideon said, slowly moving towards Ava. "What did you have against my father?!" Ava shouted.

"Oh goodie, your dad. What is there to say? He was driving the truck, when the IED went off. Wreckage flew everywhere. Somehow, I had been pinned under the vehicle. I had to lob my arm off. There's something else too, hmmm, YOUR FATHER ABANDONED ME!" Ava jumped from his loud voice. Gideon laughed, and said "But it's all good now. He's dead, your brother's dead, and soon you'll be dead" "WHY?!" Ava shouted.

"Nothing good comes from the Ayala family. Nothing now, or ever" Gideon pronounced. Ava stood there, deeply hurt but still ready to fight. "You know I'm here to take you down?" Ava asked. Gideon's bodyguards raised their weapons, but Gideon signalled to disengage. "Let's skip straight to the hard way, k'?" Ava said, leaping towards Gideon, as she dug her claws deep into his shoulders.

Gideon turned around, angrier than before, swinging his large mace wide. Ava dodged it, and attempted to return with a swipe of her claw, but Gideon parried with his forearm. "This is going nowhere!" Gideon shouted, and signaled to his guards. The men opened fire, as Ava ducked, and rolled under. When the gunfire ceased, she stood up, and was confronted by Gideon aiming his mace arm at her. _No way_ thought Ava, as the mace launched forward, attached to some kind of rocket. She leaped out of the hole where the window was, falling painfully to the deck below.

She felt dizzy, and her entire side throbbed now, but she had to finish this. _It's not a question of if I can defeat Mace, but if I can call in for help_ Ava thought, noticing something out of the corner of her eye. She ran toward the bow of the ship, as Gideon leaped out of the cabin, hitting the the deck loudly. _10/10 what a landing_ thought Ava, as she continued for the bow. Suddenly, crates around her erupted as she heard the sound of a minigun. Ava continued to run, as she heard the maniacal laughter of Gideon's and his hellbent revenge.

She stopped, and leaped for a wall to hide behind, and watched as Gideon walked past her. _The things one does when they're angry_ Ava thought. When she couldn't see anyone, she headed for the loading area of the cargo vessel. She saw a turret peeking out of the opening loading area, and knew exactly what to do.

She leaped up into it, strapped herself in, and looked at the control panel to figure out how to use everything in a matter of seconds. It seemed a lot easier to use than Ava initially thought, and she decided to take the initiative. _I really hope my dad was right about this_ She thought as she hit the trigger, and a noise louder than anything she ever heard echoed, as a part of the ship exploded with a fiery blast. _That shoulda done it, now all I have to do is hide and wait,_ She thought, as she slinked away.

…

The Coast Guard Base at Alameda had just gotten a warning message that a dangerous naval conflict was happening off the coast of northern California. "What the hell is that?!" The head mariner yelled. "I dunno sir, but the situation is potentially hostile to the people of San Fran. Should I give the all-clear?" "OF COURSE!" The man roared, "I'll be on that boat myself"

…

Soon, the Coast Guard troopers were on the scene, guns ready and searching for the hostile force. Everyone on the cargo vessel, and even the Yacht were taken into custody for questioning, save Ava, who was hiding away on the Coast Guard's boat. She clutched at her side, silently laughing at herself.

 _I did it, you proud now Hector?_ Ava thought, as she watched the boats head back to shore. When the boats arrived at the shore, Ava disembarked, but not before overhearing that someone got away. _Please let it not be Gideon_ She thought, thinking about the safety of her Mom. She somehow walked all the way to the original dock, and found her "Catmobile", starting it up and driving home. She looked down at her costume to see either bloodstains or skin showing from where her costume ripped.

 _Looks like I'll be sewing tomorrow_ She thought to herself. When she finally got home, she saw that Gideon was nowhere in sight. Ava's mom ran over to her to catch her when she fell. "D'you know, like, how much blood I probably lost?" Ava said, woozily. "Too much" Her mom said worriedly. "And look how toned my thighs are" Ava added, still in a daze, before passing out.

Ava woke up in her bed, and for the first time, she was partially clothed. "What the actual hell happened?" She asked out loud, before seeing the door open, and her mom with a tray of sorts. "Is that breakfast?" Ava asked, and her Mom nodded in response. "You were in bad condition last night, but the people at the hospital helped, and you're okay for the most part. However, you should be careful about the broken rib you have"

"I've got a….gosh-dang broken rib?! I'm supposed to go to Brandon's house too." Ava said, "and how I am supposed to be the White Tiger?" "Well, first things first you can't right now, because you need to fix the costume. Don't want the bad guys seeing too much of those 'toned thighs'" Her mom stated, laughing. "Did I say something about those?" Ava asked, embarrassed.

"Maybe" Her mom replied, "Also don't worry about your rib. The doctor said no pieces broke off, so you'll be good in 2 weeks or so." "Thanks I guess" Ava responded. "You gotta get ready, you're friend is coming over early since he heard you were in the hospital" Her mom said, before walking out. _If he carries me to his car, I'm game_ Ava thought, jokingly.

She got out of bed as slowly as she could, deciding that she needed pants to cover up her thong. She put on her pink booty shorts, and a white tank top, not really putting any effort or caring about clothes at this moment. She slowly hobbled downstairs to wait up for her friend, but when she turned the corner she saw Brandon already there.

"Hey there, how's it going?" Ava said, smiling with as much energy as she had right then, and walking over to him. "You need any help there?" Brandon asked. "Nah, I'm fine, you know me" She said, winking at him.

The two got into Brandon's car, and drove off; Brandon saying "So your mom told me last night you got hurt, and I wanted to come see if you're alright?" "It's nothing, I fell off a ladder" Ava said, lying. "A ladder?! You broke your rib!" "It's fine, really. I'm happy you decided to come earlier." Ava said, leaning against Brandon. "I'm trying to drive" He responded, stoically. "Oh,. my bad" Ava said, blushing. She kind-of liked him, but she wasn't sure if now was the time.

Soon the two were at Brandon's house, and he helped her get in and up to his room. "You can sit on my bed, it's memory foam, so it should feel nice with your pain" He said, and when Ava laid down, she realized he was right. _Damn his bed feels good,_ Ava thought, realizing how dirty the implications were. _Keep it cool Ava, you can do this,_ She thought.

"So, are you ready for movies?" Brandon asked, excitedly. "Sure!" Ava said. She loved watching a movie, even more so when she was with somebody. He started it up, and the two sat there, as friends do. The movie was a lot better than Ava expected, but about halfway through, the two heard a loud noise, not dissimilar to a housebreak. "Did you hear that?" Brandon asked nervously, as he paused the film. "Yeah, what was that?" Ava said, whispering back.

"Should we-?" They both asked, then decided to go and check it out. "Ava, you really shouldn't" Brandon started, but she gave him a look that said 'Shut up and let me do this'. They snuck downstairs, and hid around the corner to the main hall to see a tall and muscular man with a mace on his right arm. _Oh shit oh shit oh shit,_ Ava thought, biting her tongue so she wouldn't shout.

"Who is that?" Brandon mouthed to Ava, who responded with "Just stay away" "Why?" Brandon mouthed, but Ava just shook her head. The tiger amulet was in her back pocket, so Ava slowly and carefully reached for it. "Go get something to beat this guy with" Ava hastily whispered, as Brandon ran off.

Ava walked out to confront Gideon, calling "Hey Gideon! Lookin for me?!" "OH! So you're the new White Tiger! What a feeble form" Gideon jeered, and Ava consciously for a second, looked down at her body. _Fuck you,_ She thought, and sucker punched Gideon, before backing up and looking for Brandon. "So, how'd you get that mace back?" Ava asked, rather politely. Gideon stood there confused for a second.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Brandon sneaking up behind Gideon, bravely wielding a fire extinguisher. Ava thought, _Maybe Brandon doesn't have to figure out I'm a superhero if I just distract Gideon_.

"SO! Gideon, what are you doing here? Here to rob us, because I'll have you know, the police have called and will be here to fuck you up" Ava declared proudly. Brandon looked at her shocked, mouthing to get back. Ava pretended not to notice him, trying to take all of Gideon's attention.

Gideon roared at her furiously, "I'm here to kill you, you stupid bitch!" Ava was taken aback for a second, retorting "The hell did you say to me?" Brandon stood there, unsure of what to do, mouthing "For you?!" Ava stood her ground, prepared to end this.

Gideon ran towards her, mace ready to crush Ava. She turned around, and ran as fast as she could, which was slow and quite painful. _Goddamn it Brandon, you had one job_ She thought, as she slid along Brandon's kitchen floor to dodge a blow from Gideon. She activated her amulet, this time dousing her in green light.

 _What the- what is this?_ Ava thought, as she suddenly heard voices. They were scattered and faint, but all saying one word. She tried to make it out, when suddenly she heard very clearly Hector say "Strength" "What? What strength?" Ava pleaded, but heard no more.

The light faded to see both Brandon and Gideon staring awkwardly, as Ava's eyes glowed yellow now. "The-the tiger's eyes" Gideon said, gasping. _Don't know what that means, but holy shit do I feel good_ Ava thought, with reinvigorated strength.

She moved towards Gideon significantly faster than any human being could, and uppercutted, breaking something. Gideon reeled, and swung, destroying the drywall of Brandon's house. "BRANDON! Get the hell back here!" Ava called, gesturing for him to stand behind her. He stared with eyes that screamed 'what in the world is happening'. Gideon prepared to shoot his mace at the two, and fired. Ava simply pulled Brandon down on the floor with her as the mace destroyed the entire back wall.

Ava finally went in for the kill, pouncing on Gideon; the two tumbled violently as Ava beat him as hard as she could. Her subconscious kept telling her to exercise restraint, but she kept going. Blood flew everywhere, as she continued, until she heard Brandon say "STOP!"

Ava stopped, and stared back at her friend. The yellow died from her eyes, as she slumped to the floor, a large bruise surfacing around her broken ribs. Brandon went to her side, seeing if she was okay. Ava whispered "What happened? Did I go all White Tigery?" "You went crazy" Brandon replied, as Ava looked to a twitching Gideon.

"Holy- that was me?!" She shouted feebly. She started to cry as all of her adrenaline released in a burst of emotions. Brandon waited until she was done to call 911, catching her before she hit the floor.

…

Her mom had told her that she had fractured one of her ribs even more, causing hemorrhaging in her chest cavity. "Damaged…...goods" She said, laughing. The nurses had told her mom that Ava was not to move for two weeks, unless it was absolutely necessary. "And by necessary, they do NOT mean vigilantism." Her mom ordered. "Alright" Ava said, seeing something in her mom eye's. "Is there something you're not telling me?" Ava asked.

"Yes" Her mom replied, "We're moving to New York" "WHAT?!" Ava screamed, before catching her breath. "I told Brandon this before he picked you up, and wanted to make every minute count. We're moving because I don't anyone who loves you in danger." Her mom explained. "But why New York?" Ava asked distressed. "There's a wonderful job offer for me there, and I feel that it's a relatively safe place for us" Her mom said, before leaving Ava to ponder.

Ava sat on her bed, depressed, thinking about all the times she'll miss out with Brandon in the future. Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up as fast as she could. It was Brandon, saying " _When r u leaving?_ " " _Idk yet_ " She responded, " _But Ill tell u when I know_ ". She turned off her bedside lamp, and laid down

While lying there, she realized it was probably for the best. Her friends house was in ruins, and she never wanted Brandon to be in that situation again. She had explained to him everything as well as she could. Now that he knew her secret, he would never be truly safe. She rolled over, realizing that only led to pain, before falling asleep for the night.

2 weeks later….

"Whatever man, nothing you say will change the fact that clearing those robbers from the bank WAS EASY" Danny said, as he and Luke were relaxing at an outdoors bar. "Look man, it was the easiest job yet is all I'm saying" Luke retorted, sipping on his Margarita. "These are good" commenting Danny, before he argued "Look, the only reason it was easy was because of your bulletproof skin. I don't got that" Luke was laughing hysterically at this point, nearly falling out of his seat.

Danny detached himself from the frivolous argument, and noticed someone standing in the center of Times Square. She was a short, sexy latina girl, who appeared to be looking for someone, or something. "Hey, Luke, do you see this girl?" Danny asked. "Who?" Luke asked, finally calming down.

"The Latina one, short, jet-black hair, busty as hell" Danny said, describing. "Oh yeah, I do. What about it, you wanna ask her out?" Luke said, "It'd be a tad desperate if you ask me" "No, she just looks like she needs help is all" Danny said, embarrassed. "Well then go help her, but don't expect me to feel bad if she rejects your approach." Luke stated bluntly.

Danny rolled his eyes, as he ran over to the bench in the center of Times Square. She appeared to have some paper in her hand, a poster of sorts. The girl noticed Danny approaching her, and gave the man a confused face. He sat down on the stairs next to her, and asked "D'you need any help?" Ava laughed internally, thinking _What an awkward guy_ , before realizing that he was the man she was looking for.

Suddenly, Danny was pinned violently by the girl. She had his arms behind his back, and a foot solidly placed in his spine, pinning him, with Luke laughing, as he came over to rescue his friend.

Ava smiled, because now she knew she'd found them. She released Danny, and turned to Luke, who was still in hysterics. "So, are you guys who I think you are?" Ava asked rhetorically. "I dunno, you tell me" Luke said, helping Danny up. "I'm new here, and I've heard rumours about a blonde Asian and his big black friend tearing up the streets with vigilantism. I wanna join" Ava declared.

"First off, welcome to New York! Second, you have to BE A SUPERHERO to join. What powers do you got" Luke asked. Ava frowned, and noticed that Danny was giving her a look. "Do you want me to kiss you to make you feel better?" Ava asked playfully, "Cuz you look like you need one"

"She told you" Luke said, before Ava went in and kissed Danny full on the lips. "Oh, she wasn't kidding" Luke said, "Oh, how the night gets better" When she finished, she asked again "Can I join your Heroes for Hire" She showed them the piece of paper to be a poster she made; it had a spiffy looking logo, showcasing their name. "That looks nice, but again, what's your superpower?"

"This" Ava said, presenting her amulet. It glowed a dim green, and Danny and Luke looked at it with amazement. "What does it do, besides glow?" Danny asked, finally saying something. "It enhances my strength, stamina, and dexterity, among other things" Ava said, lowering her voice.

"That's cool" Luke said, looking at Danny. They turned around, and Luke asked nearly silent "Should we let her in?" "I mean.." Danny started, to which Luke replied "We'll have to have some sorta initiation thing going on, y'know what I'm saying?" Danny nodded in response, still in the moment of the kiss. After a lengthy talk, the two decided. "We've thought about it a little, and the answer is-" Luke said.

Next Time…

The Heroes for Hire are summoned to a magical palace, where a wizard asks to relocate the source of his power. Running quickly out of time, the Heroes must find the culprit in order to stop her malice from growing.


End file.
